Sports Writer for The Age

James Frawley has played under seven different coaches in eight years. Photo: Sebastian Costanzo

James Frawley has had seven coaches in eight seasons at Melbourne. Three were sacked, three picked up the pieces after the sackings, one has arrived to finally put an end to all of that nonsense.

While Paul Roos' very action of walking in the door immediately changed the image of the club and blew some of the black clouds away, his insistence - on signing up for the job - that he did not want it long-term and planned to groom his successor created a layer of uncertainty when Melbourne missed out on the man it wanted to be that successor.

So as it stands, Frawley would presume that if he stayed at Melbourne beyond this season he will have another coach at the Demons before his next contract is over. And he doesn't know who that will be.

None of that means he is necessarily leaving Melbourne. What it means is, in the short term, he wants to wait before he starts talking, let alone puts pen to paper.

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Maybe there will be a successor known by then, maybe Roos will have been persuaded to remain in the job longer, maybe Melbourne will have a different feel on the field and off by then.

Even ignoring for a moment the recent miserable history of Melbourne, few players such as Frawley - coming out of contract and eligible for free agency - rush to sign new contracts.

Frawley would thus be aware - or have been informed - that, as a 25-year-old key defender who has already been All-Australian, he would be about the top of the list of most desirable free agents. He is also only on modest money in the final year of his contract.

While Frawley's wait-and-see position is a big step away from ''talk to me at the end of the year'', it will have left Melbourne slightly anxious (despite having expected it was coming) and will have whet the appetite of a clutch of rival clubs that would figure a proven key defender might now be gettable.

There are obvious suitors. Hawthorn's premiership was built in part on harvesting the right players at the right time from other clubs and one of those critical players - Brian Lake - will be 32 when he is out of contract at season's end. The Hawks also have the Buddy Chest of unused cash from Franklin's contract to spend. Frawley is the ideal type of player in the ideal age bracket.

Since he was All-Australian in 2010 Frawley has not been the damaging, rebounding defender that elevated him into the elite of the game, largely in part it seems because he learnt it was a dangerous ploy to run off an opponent when the ball was trampolining back over his head. That siege mentality would lift at Hawthorn.

Grand finalist Fremantle has Luke McPharlin at 32 and unlikely to go on next year, Michael Johnson turns 30 this year and, with Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands probably in their last seasons, they would have the demand and the cash to pay the price.

Sydney and Geelong would seem unlikely. Richmond has honest types but lacks a player such as Frawley and has admitted it has been compiling a salary cap buffer to spend on a free agent.

The idea of another key defender to partner Michael Jamison and add insurance in defence for Lachie Henderson's swings forward would appeal to Carlton.

Essendon, Collingwood and North Melbourne have enough coverage in key defence not to be players for Frawley. St Kilda has the romance of repatriating the Frawley name to the club where James' uncle Danny played, but the future at Seaford is as murky as Melbourne's.

The Dogs would be doubtful and while Adelaide and Brisbane might be reasonable fits in a structural sense, most interstate destinations tend not to attract players who have home-state options unless they are right in contention (Freo) or offer stupid money. So, of course, that puts GWS in the mix.

Frawley has only shelved talks and not put them off until season's end but his decision has excited recruiters near and far.